Ever After
by SityGirl
Summary: SEQUEL to Childhood's End. What do you say to a happily ever after? Yes, please. Sappy, fluffy dribble. JxJ slash.


Warning - 'these' signify thoughts an -these- dialogue since my shift no longer works.

Reviews very much appreciated.

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- Sit down. - Seconds tick by and no one moves – Mate, I'm not telling you again.

- I'm just gonna go to... to the kitchen. - Jack forces a cough, making it seem dry as possible. Almost chokes on it. Which ends up as a real cough that brings real tears to his eyes as he rasps out. - Just need a glass of water.

His acting must be missing something because his sentry is still standing stone faced in front of the only available exit, staring Jack down. And if he wasn't feeling like jumping out of his skin he would have cared about the stare. But he doesn't care and he can feel the fear in his gut mix with apprehension, and then both coil in his chest and make it hard to breathe. Or think rationally.

Which in turn is making him irritable, jumpy and a breath away from turning on the fluffy tailed bastard staring at him.

Just as he is contemplating his chances if he does try to take him down the large door flies open and in walks a huge mountain of a man. The man takes one look at the aggravated Bunny and a nervous wreck that used to be Jack Frost once upon a time and lets out a full belied laugh.

- Growing old buns? Can't handle deček anymore? – and just like that Bunny's face goes from stony to full frown as he mumbles a few expletives under his breath and storms out of the room followed by a jolly laugh.

Unfortunately he shuts the door on his way out so there is no way for Jack to slip out after him. Especially not with the new door block in the form of one giant bearded Russian.

- Sit down my boy.

And Jack can't take it any more. He explodes into motion and waves his arms wildly as he paces from one corner of the room to the other.

His voice steadily rising as he rants.

- Why does everyone keep telling me to sit down. That's _all_ I have been doing for the last week and you know it. Just sitting down and twiddling my thumbs. I can't do it anymore, I really can't. I need... I just... - he trails off at the soft look in his friend's eyes and loses some of his steam.

He knows the man understands what Jack is going through, because he's the only other guardian that went through it himself. He knows that.

And suddenly every little emotion that he's been holding at bay catches up with him and hits him like a freight train. He flops down on the nearest surface which ends up being a sturdy coffee table. He leans on his knees and hangs his head as he stares at the floor unseeingly. Trying to put the storm of emotions raging in him into words. But all he can come up is.

- .I miss him.

A large hand lands on his shoulder and pats him as gently as possible, mindful not to wrinkle the fine clothes he's wearing. Jack plucks at the silky garment and tries to ignore the misery laced through his voice as he finds more words. These ones not at all welcome, but still undeniable.

- What if this isn't what he wants? What if he's changed his mind? – he swallows hard and closes his eyes unable to face the next thought - What if it doesn't work.

Claus cuts him off gently with a soft squeeze to his shoulder and Jack looks up at him

- Trust the moon.

Jack sighs and hangs his head. He nods because it is all he can do.

Just like trusting is all he has left.

He clenches his hands as he fights against feelings welling up in him. Love and hope mix with fear while his brain keeps reminding him of all the ways this could wrong.

Claus's hand is warm and comforting on his shoulder but he knows he won't feel right until he sees Jamie again. He takes a deep breath and gets up just as Claus says - It's time.

He straightens the few barely there wrinkles in his jacket and follows the man out the door.

'-'-'-'-'-'-'-'-'-'-'-'-'-'-

He is escorted through the wide halls. Bunny at one side, Claus the other.

It probably takes a couple of minutes but it feels as if in a blink of an eye he is standing in front of a lavishly carved door that are hiding his future.

It's been a week. A week that he hasn't been allowed to see Jamie, all in the preparation for this moment, this one ceremony that will decide their lives forever.

The last time this ceremony was performed was for Mrs. Claus. She was to Claus what Jamie was to Jack. And now Jack and Jamie needed the moon to recognize that what they have is just as true enough, just as meant to be, so that Jack will have the opportunity of having Jamie by his side till the ends of time.

And then the door opens and he only has eyes for a single person because Jamie is there.

He's dressed in similar clothes, standing on one side of the moon circle. Jack knows that in human terms a lot of time has passed since they've met on that slippery slide of a street all those years ago. But to him it feels like only days have passed.

Jamie is now a full grown man, with more silver in his hair than dark brown. His face is filled with wrinkles, most of them from smiling too much and Jack is glad to be responsible for almost all of those. Also his middle a bit rounder than it used to be, but no matter the changes to Jack he will always be the most beautiful sight in the world.

His eyes are still exactly the same and when Jamie smiles at him Jack can feel his feet leave the floor on their own for a single flutter before he makes them behave. He settles down and walks the remaining few steps to the opposite side of the circle.

They must look like a pair of idiots just smiling at each other but only they know the conversation that passes between them. No words needed.

There is a lot 'I missed you' and 'I love you' in there. And one 'I've never been happier in my life' that Jack isn't sure who thought first but he can feel the feeling resounding between them until it is the single most defining truth for both of them. And that almost makes him laugh in pure joy that this moment is even happening.

The last shreds of fear are dispersing like early morning mist faced with a bright noon sun. There are words spoken around them, followed by a soft sound of tinkling bells and both are filling the air with a magical feeling.

And then it builds and the air grows heavy with it until the tension breaks in a sudden explosion of blinding white light that leaves Jack's watery eyes blinking rapidly from the shock of it.

It takes only a moment to clear and then the magic is gone from the air and all that is left is the five of them. And Jamie. Who is lying on the floor.

Jack's heart stops as he feels fear race through him and makes him choke on air. And then he is in motion, skidding across the polished floor and falling on his knees near the limp body. His heart in his throat so he can barely whisper around it.

- Jamie... _Jamie_... - he hears the fear laced clearly through every sound he makes.

If it didn't work… he can't even finish that thought.

The last fifty years flash though his head in that single moment. Every single second he's spent with this man.

And then he just _knows_, he knows that he wouldn't be able to go back to the way it was before. Suddenly he knows that if Jamie was taken from him he would spend the rest of his existence finding ways to end it.

This all flashes through his head in one terrifying second and then he is turning the unconscious body and the whirring thoughts come to a shocked halt. Followed by a single deafening thought.

'It worked.'

The thought that turns into a chant and falls from his numb lips. - It worked it worked it worked...

And then a hand lands on his shoulder followed by a gruff but pleased. - Aye boy. Well done.

Jack can feel a grin splitting his face in two as he looks down at person he loves more than anything lying in peaceful slumber. Because now that his heart has calmed somewhat he can focus on the slow rise and fall of Jamie's chest that show that he is all right and well if not awake to smile back.

- He looks...

- Oh, aye. That is his moon form. - he can hear Claus' smile echo in his words and he can feel the rest of the guardians gathering around them but ha can't look away from the youthful face he hasn't seen in decades. - Well, at least that's what we call it. The moon took him back to the moment you recognized your love for each other.

And it is that moment Jamie's eyes flutter open and the first thing he does is smile at Jack and Jack almost chokes on the swell of emotions the sight of that smile causes. It makes him flutter with silly nerves and drown in incredible happiness as he smiles back.

He leans down and kisses his soul mate whispering 'I love you' against his lips before he seals them over the smiling ones of the boy he will now have the opportunity to love forever.


End file.
